Recently re-installed Windows & would LOATHE to do it ag

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ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!

Anyways, last night I tried to install WindowBlinds and was following the directions to use the crack just as I was supposed to from the ReadMe file.

Anyways, one of the four files in the crack folder was a WBSvr.dll file. I was to copy it to my desktop, and then drag all four into the installation folder and reboot. Then i was to delete the WBSvr.dll off my desktop.

I got as far as restarting the machine. Then, just as I got to the Welcome screen, before the little Windows tune played, my system froze. I had to shut it down manually and restart it in safe mode. I can't see what's causing my problem; I've restored my pc to an earlier date, the WindowBlinds software is gone, but the problem with loading Windows still remains. It is currently sitting at home in safe mode.

Help! What gives???

Oh, and I forgot to mention - here are the errors I got when I tried to load the CD that came with the motherboard. Yes, I forgot to mention: new motherboard, whole reason for the re-installing Windows. (Technically I wasn't re-installing, I was simply installing, actually. My bad...) :

• Can't execute kernel mode driver service
• Can't load ASUSHWIO.dll
• Can't load ASCDDMI.dll

Probably a virus. Were you pirating that software?

Well, looks like the problem is solved... I ran a recovery installation and managed to get into the os!

Yesssssss....

Errr... me? Pirating? NEVER!

Actually it was given to me by a friend who's runnning it no problem on his pc... That's what's flabbergasting me!

I competely reinstalled xp many times. I need three cdroms xp,dlink ethernet software,
dsl software and everything else is not important.

I do have several hard drives with old data that I can recover I just choose not to.

XP actually already has built-in theme capabilities, which is why it doesn't look like older Windows versions. It comes with two themes, Windows Classic, which looks like 98, and Windows XP, internally called "Luna". Microsoft has also released a theme that mimics the appearence of Media Center Addition. The problem is that it only allows Microsoft-signed themes, and given that MS has only ever released that single visual style, this system is rendered bloody useless.

Fortunately, there's a patch that removes this check so you can download any theme. Unlike Window Blinds:

- It's free and doesn't require shady cracks or payment.
- It uses XP's built-in functionality. Therefore, there is no need for a program that runs overtop of everything, eating resources.
- It has flawless compatibility with applications because they already use XP's themer. No need for a painfully long "ignore list" of applications. Basically, anything that looks good in XP's default style looks good with this, since they're done the same way.
- It's actually stable, no BS like crashes, no need to "unload" it when installing programs, etc.

http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/OS- ... cher.shtml

This will replace a system file, but it's not one that's important to your system even if something did go wrong, as it only enables theme capabilities. Moreover, you can apparently run the setup again to undo it, though I've never seen a need for that. It does feel creepy when you do it, mainly because you have to tell Windows it's ok that a system file was replaced, and also because XP goes all 98-ish after you finish patching until you restart, but it's really not that big a deal, and it saves you a load of trouble. Windowblinds messes with the display properties screen - I'd say that's worse. I used WindowBlinds for 2 years, and had that screen made inaccessible twice. I grew very tired of all the visual bugs that arose from it being plastered on top of Windows classic, and before I even heard of the uxtheme.dll patch, I had stopped using it, settling for the bland Luna, because I just could take it anymore. That program isn't worth the money I paid for it, nor is it worth pirating. I suggest you dump it altogether.